After the Vows: When Your Big Day is Over

So that’s it. You’ve said your vows, exchanged rings, tossed the bouquet, and posed for more pictures than a Kardashian.

You’re married.

Now what?

I remember at the end of my own wedding, having that feeling. Now what? When it was time to go, we hugged everyone, said, “Well, this was fun,” and walked across the street to get into our car. It was so strange. The plans I had spent months making, the stress of making sure the day was perfect.

It was over.

I remember riding in the car to our hotel in a daze. Not sure what I felt about “the big day” being done.

It wasn’t completely over, there was still an awesome honeymoon awaiting us and that part where we had to survive marriage, but I had spent so much of the prior six months picking out flower arrangements and getting fittings. I had had a full on argument with my mother over chicken fingers that were now all eaten. It was hard to fathom that everything we’d poured our concentration into was now considered a memory. It was in the past. Now, we were staring at our futures.

But before our “future” could begin, I had to get through the rest of my wedding day. Here are some of the things I experienced after the wedding. You may find some of these helpful as you navigate your own post wedding feelings.

I was a little sad.

I know we’ve all been told not to forget our marriage as we plan our weddings. As a married woman of almost ten years, I whole-heartedly agree with that advice, but give yourself a moment to mourn the end of the day that you’ve been planning for months if not years. It’s okay to feel a little sadness. Don’t stay in the dumps so long that your new husband begins to take it personally, but a few minutes to reflect and acknowledge your feelings can be helpful.

I was starving.

I remember checking into our hotel after our wedding, we were taking a flight out the next morning and were just going to be there for the night. The first thing we did after dropping our bags was order one of everything off the menu. I know, probably not what you’d expect the first thing to be…but we were THAT hungry. When we were finished eating, it looked like hungry bears had raided the hotel room. The box the caterer had packed us had been ripped open, I think with my teeth, its contents consumed and the room service tray was overflowing with empty plates and glasses.

I was dehydrated.

My plan to sustain myself for the entire day of my wedding purely on the energy I got from one mimosa, as it turns out, was not a good one.

It took 30 minutes to get all the bobby pins out of my hair.

That adorable up-do that I fretted over came at a price. My husband sat impatiently across from me drinking a beer and staring in fascination at the amount of pins that were hiding in my pearled coif. It was like a clown car that just when you thought all the clowns had emptied the vehicle, out came another pin. We began to place bets on how many more could possibly be hiding in my head.

I had a headache.

It’s what 57 bobby pins will do to a girl in the course of a day. Don’t forget to pack the Advil.

I was tired.

It was a physical tired. It was definitely an emotional tired. It was a good tired. It’s the kind of tired that having a huge event behind you and a good night’s rest curled up next to the one you love will certainly cure.

The next day I felt lighter and freer than I had in months. My husband and I hopped on the plane without a care in the world, ready to spend an amazing week together exploring a new place, having romantic dinners and making plans for the best that was yet to come…our life together.

About Rachel Turner

Rachel Turner is a freelance writer and humor blogger. Southern born and raised, this proud Georgia Peach currently lives in Woodstock, Ga with her husband and two sons. Drop by her blog, www.rachelshumor.com for a giggle or email her at editor@southernbridal.com .

About Southern Bridal

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